Calling Canuck fans everywhere
Hockey Betting Lines
07/09/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The word "frenzy" is often used to describe the NHL's free agency period, but sitting here today on July 9th, the word "flop" might be more appropriate in describing the excitement level amongst hockey fans.
In the first two days of free agency there were 52 new contracts handed out, and there have been only seven since.
It would seem that general managers are playing a waiting game, holding their cards close to the vest in order to see how the landscape will look once superstar Ilya Kovalchuk decides on a new home.
After the Russian sniper signs, effectively taking this year's stud off the market, one can expect the deals to start hitting the news wire at more of a brisk pace.
For now, it will be the smaller stories that get some attention, and the Vancouver Canucks are serving up some fodder for the hockey world in that regard.
It was announced earlier in the week that the Canucks would be partnering with Rogers Communications, Canada's largest cable and mobile phone provider, in a sponsorship deal.
By acquiring the naming rights to the team's downtown stadium on Tuesday, the concrete behemoth at 800 Griffiths Way, previously known as General Motors place, will now be Rogers Arena.
Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini and Rogers president and CEO Nadir Mohamed agreed on the 10-year deal that will not only result in the name change, but also some exploration into using the media giant to reach out to Canucks fans.
"We will partner with the Canucks to explore new and revolutionary ways to use wireless technology to engage Vancouver fans any time, any place," said Mohamed, who grew up a Canucks fan in British Columbia.
By the sound of it, some interesting new digital outlets could be developed to enhance the franchise's relationship with its rabid fan base.
The Canucks already have an extremely successful iPhone application on the market, showing how they value the opportunities to connect with people in this digital age. This new partnership is an expansion of that media savvy.
Rogers can add this relationship with the Canucks to their already-impressive resume in pro sports ownership, management and marketing.
The media giant also owns the Toronto Blue Jays franchise and their home turf (Rogers Centre), as well as the naming rights to the ATP pro tennis tour's Canadian pit stop the Rogers Cup.
On the hockey front, the Canucks have made some moves that should contribute to their on-ice success as well.
By signing free agents Dan Hamhuis and Manny Malhotra and trading for the Florida Panthers' Keith Ballard the Canucks have beefed up at both ends of the ice.
Hamhuis, 27, turned down more lucrative offers to play in his home province and will be the lynchpin of the defensive corps, while Ballard, also 27, will join Hamhuis among the top four on the back end and will be an injection of quickness and durability. The move to get Ballard could also allow the Canucks to explore the possibility of moving oft-injured defender Kevin Bieksa for some more scoring punch up front.
With the signing of Malhotra, the Canucks add a gritty third-line center who won more than 60 percent of his draws last season. The face-off specialist will take a leading role on the penalty kill that finished 18th in the league last year.
The Canucks have sent a strong message to the rest of the league, that they believe the window for a Stanley Cup is wide open.
And by partnering with Rogers, it looks like there will be even more ways for Canucks fans to enjoy the ride.
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - I'm wondering how many general managers did their homework in preparation for the greatest free agent class in NBA history, considering how many ludicrous contracts were given out. Apparently the inmates are runn
<< Report: Yankees close to acquiring Lee
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees are reportedly close to
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According to the New York Post, the Yankees would send prized catching
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<< Mavs lock up C Haywood
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Mavericks reportedly agreed to terms
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The 29-year-old started the 20
<< Clippers add Foye, Gomes
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers have come to terms
on contracts with forward Ryan Gomes and guard Randy Foye.
The Los Angeles Times reports Foye's deal is for two years and more than $8
million. Gomes' deal is
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -A coroner's report says former Kentucky basketball star Melvin Turpin died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.The report Friday gave no other information about the investigation, including whether Turpin left a suicide note. Faye
Bruins sign Stuart to one-year deal >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins have signed defenseman Mark
Stuart to a one-year contract.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Stuart has spent his entire career with the Bruins, who made the Rochester,
Minnesota nat
Record crowd watched Clijsters beat Serena >>
Brussels, Belgium (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The largest crowd to ever watch a tennis
match saw Belgian Kim Clijsters beat Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in an
exhibition bout Thursday in Brussels.
The former world No. 1 Clijsters topped the c
2010 FBS Positional Analysis: Tight Ends >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The collegiate tight end has traditionally
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Rays try to extend win streak versus Indians >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays shoot for their seventh straight win
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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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